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Pérez T, Díaz MC, Ruiz C, Cóndor-Luján B, Klautau M, Hajdu E, Lobo-Hajdu G, Zea S, Pomponi SA, Thacker RW, Carteron S, Tollu G, Pouget-Cuvelier A, Thélamon P, Marechal JP, Thomas OP, Ereskovsky AV, Vacelet J, Boury-Esnault N. How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173859. [PMID: 28329020 PMCID: PMC5362083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sponges are important components of benthic ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea, their diversity remained poorly investigated in the Lesser Antilles. By organizing a training course in Martinique, we wanted both to promote taxonomy and to provide a first inventory of the sponge diversity on this island. The course was like a naturalist expedition, with a field laboratory and a classroom nearby. Early-career scientists and environmental managers were trained in sponge taxonomy. We gathered unpublished data and conducted an inventory at 13 coastal sites. We explored only shallow water habitats (0–30 m), such as mangroves, reefs or rocky bottoms and underwater caves. According to this study, the sponge fauna of Martinique is currently represented by a minimum of 191 species, 134 of which we could assign species names. One third of the remaining non-identified sponge species we consider to be new to science. Martinique appears very remarkable because of its littoral marine fauna harboring sponge aggregations with high biomass and species diversity dominating over coral species. In mangroves, sponges cover about 10% of the surface of subtidal roots. Several submarine caves are true reservoirs of hidden and insufficiently described sponge diversity. Thanks to this new collaborative effort, the Eastern Caribbean has gained a significant increase of knowledge, with sponge diversity of this area potentially representing 40% of the total in the Caribbean Sea. We thus demonstrated the importance of developing exploratory and educational research in areas historically devoid of biodiversity inventories and systematics studies. Finally, we believe in the necessity to consider not only the number of species but their distribution in space to evaluate their putative contribution to ecosystem services and our willingness to preserve them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Pérez
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Avignon Univ. Station Marine d’Endoume, chemin de la Batterie des Lions, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Maria-Cristina Díaz
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida, United States of America
| | - César Ruiz
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Avignon Univ. Station Marine d’Endoume, chemin de la Batterie des Lions, Marseille, France
| | - Baslavi Cóndor-Luján
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Michelle Klautau
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Hajdu
- Museu Nacional, Departamento de Invertebrados, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gisele Lobo-Hajdu
- Departamento de Genetica, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sven Zea
- Instituto de Estudios en Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Caribe, c/o INVEMAR. Calle 25 2-55, Rodadero Sur, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Shirley A. Pomponi
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida, United States of America
| | - Robert W. Thacker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, 650 Life Sciences Building, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Sophie Carteron
- OTEIS. Les Hauts de la Duranne, 370 rue René Descartes, Aix-en-Provence Cedex, France
| | - Guillaume Tollu
- IMPACT MER. 90, rue du Professeur Raymond Garcin, Route de Didier, Fort-de-France, France
| | | | - Philippe Thélamon
- Abyss Plongée. 1 rue des cototiers, Grande Anse, Anses d’Arlet, France
| | | | - Olivier P. Thomas
- Marine Biodiscovery, National University of Ireland Galway, School of chemistry, College of Science, Galway, Ireland
| | - Alexander V. Ereskovsky
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Avignon Univ. Station Marine d’Endoume, chemin de la Batterie des Lions, Marseille, France
- Faculty of Biology, Saint-Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya emb., St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jean Vacelet
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Avignon Univ. Station Marine d’Endoume, chemin de la Batterie des Lions, Marseille, France
| | - Nicole Boury-Esnault
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Avignon Univ. Station Marine d’Endoume, chemin de la Batterie des Lions, Marseille, France
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Abstract
Submerged marine surfaces are rapidly colonized by fouling organisms. Current research is aimed at finding new, non-toxic, or at least environmentally benign, solutions to this problem. Barnacles are a major target organism for such control as they constitute a key component of the hard fouling community. A range of standard settlement assays is available for screening test compounds against barnacle cypris larvae, but they generally provide little information on mechanism(s) of action. Towards this end, a quick and reliable video-tracking protocol has been developed to study the behaviour of the cypris larvae of the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite, at settlement. EthoVision 3.0 was used to track individual cyprids in 30-mm Petri dishes. Experiments were run to determine the optimal conditions vis-a-vis acclimation time, tracking duration, number of replicates, temperature and lighting. A protocol was arrived at involving a two Petri dish system with backlighting, and tracking over a 5-min period after first acclimating the cyprids to test conditions for 2 min. A minimum of twenty replicates was required to account for individual variability in cyprid behaviour from the same batch of larvae. This methodology should be widely applicable to both fundamental and applied studies of larval settlement and with further refinements, to that of smaller fouling organisms such as microalgae and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Marechal
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
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Hellio C, Marechal JP, Véron B, Bremer G, Clare AS, Le Gal Y. Seasonal variation of antifouling activities of marine algae from the Brittany coast (France). Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2004; 6:67-82. [PMID: 14612986 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-003-0020-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2003] [Accepted: 06/10/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The antifouling activity of extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and dichloromethane) of 9 marine macroalgae against bacteria, fungi, diatoms, macroalgal spores, mussel phenoloxidase activity, and barnacle cypris larvae has been investigated in relation to season in bimonthly samples from the Bay of Concarneau (France). Of the extracts tested, 48.2% were active against at least one of the fouling organisms, and of these extracts, 31.2% were seasonally active with a peak of activity in summer corresponding to maximal values for water temperature, light intensity, and fouling pressure, and 17% were active throughout the year. This seasonal activity may be adaptive as it coincides with maximal fouling pressure in the Bay of Concarneau. Dichloromethane extracts of Rhodophyceae were the most active in the antifouling assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hellio
- School of Marine Science & Technology, Ridley Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
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